Coronary Heart Disease

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Recommended: Case study of cardiac catheterization

Coronary Artery Disease & Cardiac Cath Lab
We live in times of a fast pace economy, meaning always on the go, rushing trying to get everything on our daily to-do lists done. This can lead to lack of rest, increased stress, poor diet, and all around unhealthy lifestyle. Let’s face it, it’s much easier to run thru the local fast food chain and grab supper when time is not on your side. What can all of this potentially cause? Health risks, both short term and long term to an individual. Coronary heart disease is a leading cause of death in Americans in the United States. Each year 400,000 Americans die from coronary heart disease. (2) In the unfortunate case that an individual is diagnosed and faced with the disease, there are procedures that can help relieve and treat it. There is a special exam room and team of specially trained staff that conduct these procedures inside the hospitals cardiac catheterization lab.
Coronary artery disease is the most common type of heart disease. (2) It is also one of the top causes of death in men and woman in the United States. (2) Coronary heart disease is caused when a fatty like substance, called plaque, builds up around the coronary arteries of the heart. The buildup of plaque is called atherosclerosis and this condition develops over time normally due to poor diet and lifestyle. This plaque may build up and cause an occlusion or blockage in the artery, or it can harden and overtime break open. If the plaque does build up and does break open, your body’s platelets will automatically stick to the site of injury in the artery which would possibly lead to a blood clot if enough of them clump together. Blood clots are very dangerous and life threatening, they have the capability to possibly ...

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...utilizes contrast, a special dye, and special x-ray equipment to view the arteries. A unique procedure, cardiac catheterization is used to get the dye inside of the patient’s arteries in order for the radiologist to see them. During cardiac catheterization a thin, flexible tube is inserted into an artery, most commonly used is the femoral artery. The tube is threaded thru the blood vessels into the heart to the coronary arteries. Once the catheter is in place, which can be confirmed by taking an image with the x-ray equipment, then the dye is released into the blood stream. Once the dye is released the x-ray equipment is used to capture the flow and to confirm any blockages, or occlusions, and can tell the doctor if they are suffering from some sort of blockage. Cardiac catheterization is done inside the hospital with a qualified team to assist with the procedures.

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